Drive means for cutter chain jib

ABSTRACT

The invention provides drive means particularly for driving the cutter chains of mineral mining machines and the jibs or cutter chains of trenching apparatus, the drive means comprising a pair of toothed driving chains which engage from opposite sides in apertures formed in a member to be driven.

[451 Jan. 16, 1973 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS [54] DRIVE MEANS FOR CUTTER CHAIN JIB [75] Inventors: Sidney E. Proctor, High Wycombe,

2 759 595 8/l956 Lauenstein.......................198/203 X England, John C. Carden, Nassau, Bahamas 1,960,719 5/1934 Stibbs.................................74/245 C FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [73] Assignee: Gimda Ine., Panama, Panama 1,092,152 4/1955 France.................................198/203 502,236 ll/I954 Italy...........................l...........299/83 [22] Filed: Dec. 4, I970 [21] Appl. No.: 95,165

Primary ExaminerErnest R. Purser [30] Foreign Application Priority Data yy. yI & Gates ABSTRACT The invention provides drivemeans particularly for driving the cutter chains of mineral mining machines and the jibs or cutter chains of trenching apparatus, the drive means comprising a pair of toothed driving chains which engage from opposite sides in apertures formed in a member to be driven.

Sept. 21, 1970 Great Bri ain.....................44,950/70 Dec. 8, 1969 Great Britain.....................59,883/69 [52] US. Cl....................................299/82, 74/250 C 51 1m.cl..............................................E21c2s/2s [58] Field of Search..74/245 C, 250 R, 250 C, 250 S;

1 Claim, 10 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJANIBIQYS 3'711'161 SHEET 1 OF 8 9 FIG. 2.

INVENTORS sm/vzv s. PROCTQR JOHN c.. GARDEN av 0/144, W/

ATTORNEYS PATENTEDJAH 16 I975.

SHEET 2 [IF 8 a 9 a 8 7 Q A TN: A

JRJR JRWR/R PATENTED JAN 16 I973 SHEET 3 [IF 8 PATENTEUJAM 16 1915 3,711,161

SHEET 1 [1F 8 HIUIII HIUHHII UI PATENTEUJAHS ma 3.711.161

sun-:1 5 OF 8 FIG. 7.

i "i IHHUIIHIIHIIHIII H [UH] [HI IF HH H PATENTEUJAN 16 I975 SHEET 7 BF 8 PATENTEDJAH 16 I975 SHEET 8 [IF 8 DRIVE MEANSFOR CUTTER CHAIN JIB The invention relates to drive means and more particularly, but not exclusively, to drive means for the cutter chains of mineral mining machines, and for the jibs or cutter chains of earth excavating equipment such as trenching apparatus.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided drive means comprising a pair of endless'driving elements each having a run disposed to'extend parallel and adjacent to a run of the member to be driven, the arrangement being such that the driving elements are disposed to engage a member to be driven from opposite sides thereof, the driving elements and the member to be driven carrying spaced series of interengaging portions, whereby movement of the driving elements will cause corresponding movement of the member to be driven.

In one construction the member to be driven comprises a series of equi-spaced cylindrical members whose axes are disposed transversely to the intended direction of motion of the member, the driving elements being formed with projections shaped as sprocket teeth for engaging between adjacent cylindrical members of the member. The member to be driven may be a cutter chain, for example for a mineral mining machine, in which case the equi-spaced cylindrical members are preferably pick boxes for receiving cutter picks. 1

In another construction the member to be driven is a rack. The rack may be formed on opposite sides with a series of recesses in which projections formed on the driving elements can engage.

Preferably each driving element is a chain adapted to be trained round, and driven by, sprockets, the chain comprising a series of overlapping links, at least some of which carry said driving projections.

From another aspect the present invention provides drive means comprising a pair of endless driving elements each having a run disposed to extend parallel and adjacent to a run of a member to be driven, the arrangement being such that the driving elements are disposed to engage a member to be driven from opposite sides thereof, the driving elements and the member to be driven carrying spaced series of interengaging portions, whereby movement of the driving elements will cause a corresponding movement of the member to be driven, and the driven member having means at one end tending to obstruct removal of the member from between the drivingelements, wherein the series of interengaging portions on the driving elements is discontinuous so that the drivenmember can be disengaged from between the driving elements. Preferably the driven. member is formed with interengaging portions to a position close to at least one end thereof. The invention, when applied to trench It is sometimes desirable when laying cables or pipes in trenches to have more than one cable or pipe in the same trench and in the past this has normally meant laying one cable directly on top of the other.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide means for digging stepped trenches-whereby cables can be laid at different depths in the same trench.

Thus from a further aspect the invention provides drive means comprising a pair of endless drive elements each having a run disposed to extend parallel and adjacent to an adjacently disposed pair of members to be driven, the arrangement being such that the driving elements are each disposed to engage a different member of the pair of members to be driven, the driving elements and the members to be driven carrying spaced series of interengaging portions whereby movement of the driving elements causes corresponding movement of the members to be driven.

The invention also comprises apparatus for digging stepped trenches including drive means as defined above. In this case the members to be driven are cutter chains which are preferably mounted on jibs of different lengths, whereby the apparatus can produce stepped trenches.

From yet another. aspect the invention provides drive means comprising a pair of endless drive elements each having a run disposed to extend parallel and adjacent to an adjacently disposed pair of members to be driven, the arrangement being su'ch'that the driving elements are each disposed to engage a different one of the members to be driven, the driving elements and the members to be driven carrying spaced series of inv terengaging portions whereby movement of the driving digging machines, in which case the means obstructing v removal of the jib is the cutter chain carried thereby, enables the jib to be raised and lowered in a simple and convenient manner and removed and replaced as trench digging apparatus comprising drive means as defined above.

elements causes corresponding movement of the members to be driven, at least one further member to be driven being disposed between the said pair of members to be driven and arranged to be driven thereby.

From a further aspect the invention provides apparatus for digging broad trenches comprising a pair of endless drive elements each having a run disposed to extend parallel and adjacent to an adjacently disposed pair of endless cutter chains, the arrangement being such that the driving elements are each disposed to engage a different one of the cutter chains, the driving elements and the cutter chains carrying spaced series of interengaging portions whereby movement of the driving elements causes corresponding movement of the cutter chains, and at least one further cutter chain being disposed between the said pair of cutter chains and arranged to be driven therewith.

The further cutter chain or chains may be mounted on sprockets driven by the sprockets on which the pair of cutter chains are arranged. The cutter chains may be mounted on separate jibs of the trenching apparatus whereby the apparatus can cut'stepped trenches.

It is envisaged that the invention may have application in fields other than trench digging, for example mineral mining and thus references to trench digging.

FIG. 6 is a side elevation of part of the embodiment of FIG. I FIG. 7 is a side elevation of the lower part of ajib of a trench digging apparatus;

FIG. 8 is an end elevation, partly in section corresponding to FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a side elevation of an apparatus for producing stepped trenches; and

FIG. shows a drive arrangement for a multi-purpose trench digging apparatus.

In the drawings, and referring more particularly to FIGS. 1 to .4 thereof, there is shown means for driving a cutter chain 1 for a mineral mining machine, the driving means comprising a pair of chains 2 trained round sprockets 4 so that runs 5 and 6 of the respective drive chains are disposed parallel with and adjacent to a run ofthe cutter chain 1.

Each link 3 of the cutter chain 1 is formed with a 'sprocket'tooth.

In operation the teeth 9 of the driving chains 2 disposed along the runs 5 and 6 engage the pick boxes 7 of the cutter chain 1 fromopposite sides thereof so as to drive the cutter chain.

The arrangement shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is generally similar to that described above with the exception that the member to be driven is in this case a beam or jib 1 1 formed along opposite sides thereof (in the-manner of the rack of a rack and pinion device) with a series of apertures 12 in which the teeth 9 of the driving chains 2 can engage so as to drive the beam or jib l1 longitudinally. Such a device may, for example, find application in connection with'the cutter jib of trench-digging apparatus.

The arrangements described above are advantageous in that a relatively large number of sprocket teeth are in driving contact with the'mernber to be driven e.g.

cutter chain ofjib, at one time. In the case of the'cutter chain the driving effort is applied at positions favorably disposed between the positions in which load is applied to the cutters 8 and the hinge pins of the cutter chains.

In FIGS. 7 and 8 of the drawings, there is shownajib 11 for a trench digging apparatus of the kind having trained therearound an endless chain 16 carrying cutter teeth 17, the jib being arranged to be raised and lowered by drive means of the kind described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6 of the drawings; The jib is formed with a rack 12 which forms the driven member of the drive means. As will be seen from FIG. 7, the rack 12 extends close to the bottom or nose of the jib As shown in FIG. 8, while most of the links of the driving chains are provided with teeth 9 a series of links of both driving chains 2 is not formed with teeth 9. Thus when the jib has been raised to its fullest extend by the drive means the plain or untoothed links of the drive chains 2 provide a clearance through which the jib can be lifted from between the driving chains-of the drive means. V

In cases where the cutter chain profile is such that its width would obstruct removal of the jib, the cutter chain itself can be positioned so that those cutter boxes replacement of the jib.

,In FIG. 8 the drive chains are shown to have seven links carrying teeth engaging the cutter chain, followed by four links without teeth, to permit easy removal of the cutter chain. In practice however the ratio of toothed to plain links would be somewhat different to prevent unduly high driving forces from being transmitted by the teeth. With two opposing driving chains this problem could be greatly reduced if the plain links are disposed in opposite relation to the cutter chain.

The drivingmeans of FIG. 9 is generally similar to those described in detail above, but in the present case the arrangement is modified so that each cutter chain 1 has only one drive chain 2 associated therewith.

The cutter chains 1 are mounted on jigs (now shown) of different lengths so that the cutter chains extend downwardly to different extents whereby theapparatu's will produce a stepped trench 18 Guiding means (not shown) will be provided between the two cutter chains in the region where the cutter chains are engaged by the drive chains to prevent the cutter chains from being displaced laterally in operation by the driving forces.

In a further construction, not illustrated in the drawings, one or more further cutter chains are positioned between the pair of cutter chains 1 shown in FIG. 9 so that the trenching apparatus will produce a relatively broad trench which may or "may not be stepped depending on whether the jibs are ofdifferent lengths. The inner cutter chain or chains are driven by one and/or other of the said pair of cutter chains by drivingly connecting the sprockets by means of which the various cutter chains are mounted on their respective jibs. Thus for example the sprockets may be mounted on common shafts.

In FIG. 10 there is shown a drive arrangement for a to 4 of the drawings, whichi's engaged and driven by a pair of drive chains 2 in the manner described above. The chain 1 is endless and is mounted on sprockets 13. The lowermost sprocket 13 is fixed on a horizontal shaft 14 which also has fixed thereto the upper sprockets 16 oh series ofjibs 11'. Cutter chains 15 are mounted on'the jibs l l and are engaged and driven by the sprockets 16 1 With this drive arrangement it is relatively simple to vary the number and/or lengths of the jibs 11 driven by the common driven chain 1, so as to produce a wide trench which may be stepped, or a plurality of separate narrow trenches.

' If desired the cutter chain jibs 11 may be arranged to be folded back on the drive chains to give a compact unit for transportation and storage.

What we claim is 1 Drive means for a trenching machine comprising apair of endless driving chains, a member driven thereby, each of said driving chains having a run disposed to extend parallel and adjacent to the member to be driven, said driving chains disposed to engage the member to be driven from opposite sides thereof, the

which said series of spaced driving projections on the driving chains engage, said recesses extending to a position close to one end of said cutter jib, said cutter jib carrying an endless cutter chain which has cutter teeth connected thereto and extending therefrom which tend to obstruct removal of the jib from between said driving chains, and said series of spaced driving projections on the driving chains being discontinuous so-that the jib can be disengaged from between the driving chains. 

1. Drive means for a trenching machine comprising a pair of endless driving chains, a member driven thereby, each of said driving chains having a run disposed to extend parallel and adjacent to the member to be driven, said driving chains disposed to engage the member to be driven from opposite sides thereof, the driving chains and the member to be driven carrying spaced series of interengaging portions whereby movement of the driving chains will cause corresponding movement of the member to be driven, sprockets having said driving chains trained therearound to be driven by said sprockets, said driving chains having overlapping links some of which carry driving projections forming a series of spaced driving projections, said member to be driven being a cutter jib and said spaced series of interengaging portions comprising spaced recesses formed on opposite sides of said cutter jib in which said series of spaced driving projections on the driving chains engage, said recesses extending to a position close to one end of said cutter jib, said cutter jib carrying an endless cutter chain which has cutter teeth connected thereto and extending therefrom which tend to obstruct removal of the jib from between said driving chains, and said series of spaced driving projections on the driving chains being discontinuous so that the jib can be disengaged from between the driving chains. 